Saturday, 20 July 2013

Exploring Sunny Derbyshire

Sat. 20th July 2013
We've now been motorhoming for around 10 years and I can say without doubt that it's been the sunniest, warmest 12 days since we started. Along with most areas of the UK it's been a joy to set off every day without coats or clobber that are an inconvenience that slows you down in more normal conditions.
The areas of Derbyshire (both the White Peak and the Dark Peak) are only around 60 miles from home and it's an area we're not that familiar with, but what a beautiful area it is for walking,cycling and of coarse finding our wild orchids.

Here is just a cameo of some of the areas that we explored both on foot and by bike.

The White Peak an area of limestone hills valleys and pastures

Four Nights at Blackwell Hall Farm

Cycling on the Monsal Trail, an old railway track, 9 miles of easy cycling and walking

Millers Dale station before the closure in 1967

The station today

Monsal Dale view from the viaduct near Monsal Head

The viaduct from the river

A walk through Chee Dale on two separate days

The clear waters of the limestone dales rivers with both Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout

Bakewell

Monster Trout at Bakewell

The bridge at Ashford in the Water

Just a few of the thousands of Orchids that grow on or around the Monsal trail

Fragrant Orchids

Bee Orchids

Common Spotted Orchids

A walk along the Cromford Canal south of Matlock Bath

Cromford Wharf

The Heights of Abraham above Matlock Bath , here we found many Twayblade Orchids

Twayblade

Matlock BathTwelve miles away.... the Dark Peak an area of Sandstone and Millstone Grit an area lacking the flora of the White Peak but more dramatic and wilder.

Castleton

Lose Hill above Castleton the start of the ridge walk over Mam Tor

Backtor Nook with Edale to the right

The popular summit of Mam Tor

Mam Tor triangulation point

The ridge from Lord's Seat

The railway line between Manchester and Sheffield

Ashort return back into Limestone down Winnats pass down into Castleton at the end of the walk Edale a lovely valley and the start of the Pennine Way

The welcome shade on a very hot day

One of the many attractive cottages in the dale

The official starting point of the Pennine Way

The train back to the village of Hope this shortened the walk by 5 miles

The final 9 miles walk along Stanage Edge on another sweltering hot day

Cotton Grass on the boggy moor behind the edge

Some of the many Mill Stones abandoned on the Moor

Finally the welcome shade down this old lane leading down into the valley near Bamford

6 comments:

I was born in Derbyshire so your photos have brought back many happy memories especially those of Monsal Dale as it was there with my then boyfriend that I realised I wanted to be with him forever and we've now been married for 37 years and are still going strong..ahhh :))

My name is David Crossley I am married with two grown up children and five grandchildren. I am a retired Engineering Instructor, retired in 1999. I have many interests - I am a member of Burnley Film Makers, an amateur film maker and photographer, a walker,all aspects of the great outdoors, wildlife gardening, wild life ponds and wild orchids. The highlight of my walking was probably trekking through the Himalayas in Nepal.

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